Flexible pipe-coupling.



G. H.YLANGT0N @L l. W. SMALL.

FLEXIBLE PIPE COLLPLING.Y APPLICATION man FEB. 2. 1911.

Y LRJYW. Patented Apr. 23,1918.

y nur nntp.

GEORGE LANGTON AND JOHN W. SMALL, 0F PORTSM'UTI-I, VIRGINIA.

FLEXIBLE PIPE-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Tatent.

Patented Apr.. 23, 191%.

Application tiled February 2'?, 1917. Serial No. 151,315.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE H, LANGTON and JOHN W. SMALL, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk andState of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Flexible Pipe-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved flexible pipe coupling and has asits primary object to provide a device of this character wherein a tightjoint will be maintained between the coacting pipe. sections of thecoupling without the use of package or gaskets and wherein the said pipesections will be mounted to rotate or oscillate independently withrespect to each other.

The invention has as a further object to provide a coupling wherein thecoacting pipe sections of the device will be held under spring tensiontending to constantly urge the relatively movable partsl ofthe couplinginto tight engagement with each other and also acting to tension thepipe sections in their oscillatory and rotary movement. i

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a couplingadapted for general application and so constructed thatl the couplingmay be used upon steam pipes, air pipes, hot water pipes and the likewith equal efficiency.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds andin the drawings wherein we have illustrated the preferred embodiment ofthe invention and wherein similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a sectional view particularly showing the mounting of thecoacting pipe sections of the coupling and illustrating the arrangementof the bearing member interposed between the said pipe sections,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupling,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,and

Fig. l is a detailed perspective view showing the bearing member.detached and illustrating one of the rings employed-for. tensionin gthe pipe sections of the coupling.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a hollow cylindrical casing orbody 1() preferably formed on its outer face with a series ofcircumferentially spaced wrench receiving lugs. 'Projecting :mtu4 thebody,at one end thereof, is an annular shoulder 11 provided with aninner curved bearing face or seatand formed in the said shouldersubstantially midway the side edges thereof, is an annular channel orgroove 12. Fitting loosely in the said groove is a split resilienttensioning ring or member 13, shown in detail in Fig. l of the drawings.

Fitted through the body is a pipe section let. This pipe section, atitsvouter extremity, is screw threaded or otherwise formed forengagement with the main pipe line and, at its inner extremity, isliared to provide a substantially semispherical socket 15 adapted toengage snugly against the beveled seat of the shoulder 11.

Seating at one side within the socket 15 of the pipe section 141 is asubstantially spherical bearing member or union 16. rFhis bearing memberis formed with a diametric opening` 17 which is flared or diametricallyenlarged, at its extremities for a purpose which will presently appear,and is provlded with a circumscribing radial flange 18 arranged in aplane at substantially right angles to the said opening.

Arranged to coperate with the pipe sec-l tion 14, is a second pipesection 19. This latter pipe section is, as in the instance of the pipesection 14, screw threaded or otherwise formed at its outer extremityfor en. v

gagement with a main ipe line and at its inner extremity is flared toprovide a substantially semi-spherical socket 20 similar to the socket15. The socket 20 is disposed to seat against the side of the bearingmem- Y bei` 16 opposite the socket 15 with the flange 18 of the saidbearing member arranged between the confronting ends of the said socketsand with the opening 18 through the said bearing member establishingcommunication. between the pipe sections 141 and 19.

Screw threaded into the adjacent end of the body 10 to surround the pipesection 19, is a locking ring 21 provided with an inner curved face orseat to engage the socket 20 of the said pipe section with the saidlocking ring thus holding the pipe section 19, the bearing member 16 andt'he pipe section 14rconnected with the body 10. Formed in the innerface of the locking ring'is an annular" that whenthe locking. ring 21isadjustedk within the body 10 to seat against the socketA 2O of thepipesection 19 and shift the socket 15 of the pipe section let to seatagainst the shoulder l1, the said rings `will be spread or 5 expandedaround the sockets 15 and 20 to thus exert a resilient action thereontending to yieldably hold the said sockets tightly in engagement withthe bearing member 16. We thus provide a coupling wherein the use ofpacking orA gaskets is eliminated while, at the Vsame time, a tightjoint will always be maintained between the coacting pipe secl tions ofAthe coupling.

As will now be readily understood, the pipe section 1st may be rotatedor oscillated upon theV bearing member 16 independently of the pipesect-ion 19 and in like manner, the pipe section 19 may be Arotated oroscillated upon the said bearing member in dependently of the pipesection 1d. A flexible connection is thus produced between the said pipesections. In this connection, lattention fis directed to the fact thatthe flange 18 of the bearing member' 16 is disposed for engagement withthe confronting edges of the sockets of the pipe sections t0 prevent-the rotation of the bearing member vWithin the said sockets so thatthis flange Will act to always hold the bearing member in positionv.with the opening 17 therethrough registering with the openings throughthe pipe sections. Since the pipe sections are mounted to osciliate'independently of the 'bearing member to respectively assume Va positionat an angle to they axis of the l@pen-ing 17 through the Vsaid member,a's shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 the'ex-tremities Aof the saidopening are enlarged so thatthe said opening Will always kco---incidewith the openings through 40 the said pipe sections. The purpose in thisconstruction, thereiiore, non becomes apparent and it will bek seen thatby the arrangement shown, unobstructed passage between lthe pipesections through the bearing member :will always be had. Furthermore,attention 4.isfalso directed to thefact that the rings 13 and 22 Willyieldably bear against the sockets of the pipe -sections to tensionthese sections in their rotary and oscillatory movements so thatunnecessary play or looseness of the said pipe sections will beetlectually eliminated.

Having thus described the invention, What .is claimed as new is: Y f1. Aflexible pipe coupling including a gbody, coacting pipe sections ttedtherein and provided with Vconfronting sockets, a bearing member fittedin said sockets and interposed Abetween thel pipe sections, the said'Ybearing member being provided with yanzopening `communicati-ng With Ythesaid ,seciions, resilient tensioning members operatire'ly connected withthe body-toy surround V the:said sockets, and means `adjustable upon-gtflieebedy-for expanding the saidmembers about the sockets, one ol?the said tensioning members being carried by the said means.

2. A iiexible pipe coupling including a. body, a shoulder formed on oneextremity of the body and provided with a groove, 7o coacting pipesections fitted in the body and provided with confronting sockets. thesocket of one of said sections being disposed to engage said shoulder, abearing member litted in said sockets and interposed between the saidpipe sections, the said bearing member being provided with an openingcommunicating with the said sections,

a grooved locking ring connecting the pipe sections with the body anddisposed to cugage the socket or the other ot ksaid pipo sections, andsplit resilient tensioning rings sea-ted in said grooves and arranged toyieldably bear against the said sockets.

3. A iexible pipe coupling including a body, coacting pipe sectionsfitted therein and provided 1with confronting sockets, ay bearing memberfitted in said sockets and interposed. between the pipe sections, the

'said bearing member being' provided with 9o an opening communicatingwith the said sections, resilient tensioning members operativelyconnected with the body to engage the sockets of said pipe sections, oneof the said members being held against movement 96 axially of the body,and means connecting .the said pipe sections with the body.

4. A flexible pipe coupling including a body, .coacting pipe sectionsfitted therein and provided With confronting sockets, a 100 bearingmember fitted lin said sockets and interposed between the pipe sections,the said bearing member being provided with an opening, .communicatingWith the said sections, resilient tensioning members opcrativelyconnected with the body to engage the sockets of said pi )e sections,one of the said tensioning members being held against movement axiallykof the body and the other 'being ymovable axially of the body, and 110means connecting the said pipe sections With the body,

5. A flexible pipe coupling including a body, coacting 'pipe sectionsfitted therein and provided With confronting sockets, a bearing memberfitted in said sockets and interposed between the pipe sections, thesaid bearing member being provided with an opening communicating withthe said sections 4resilient tensioning members opera- 120 tivelyconnected With the body to engage the said sockets, and means adjustableupon the body for varying the tension of both the said members.

6. A flexible pipe .coupling including a body, coacting pipe sectionsfitted therein and provided with confronting sockets, a bearing memberfitted in said sockets and interposed between the pipe sections, thesaid bearing member .being provided gWitlr en opening communicating withthe said sections, resilient tensioning members operatively connectedwith the body to engage the said sockets, and a common means adjustablefor simultaneously varying the tension of both of the said members.

7 A flexible pipe coupling including a body, coacting pipe sectionsitted therein and provided with confronting sockets, a bearing memberfitted in said sockets and interposed between the pipe sections, thesaid bearing member being'provided with an opening communicating withthe pipe sections and having enlarged ends, and means carried by thebearing member between the inner extremities of VYthe said sockets anddisposed for engagement thereby to maintain the bearing member inoperative relation to the said pipe sections with in said socket andprovided with an opening communicating with the pipe section, andresilient tensioning means operatively connected with the body to engagethe socket of the said pipe section. Y

In testimony whereof we aiiXiour signatures. i e

GEORGE H. LANGTON. [Ls] JOHN W. SMALL. [1.. s]

Momes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by adressing theCommissioner of Patente,

Washinnton, IU.

